Step 1

1 Combine the milk, butter, salt, sugar, egg, flours and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer

Step 2

2 Beat on low speed just until blended, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, until a dough forms that has started to pull away from the sides of the bowl

Step 3

3 The dough should be quite stretchy, soft and shiny

Step 4

4 Scrape the dough into a ball inside the bowl and cover

Step 5

5 Let rest in a warm place to rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it’s nice and puffy

Step 6

6 Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with the semolina

Step 7

7 Gently deflate the dough and divide into 16 equal portions

Step 8

8 Shape each piece into a smooth ball

Step 9

9 Divide the balls between the baking sheets, flattening each one into disks about 3 inches wide

Step 10

10 Sprinkle the tops with more semolina, cover and let rest for 20 minutes (they’ll puff up a little more but won’t rise significantly)

Step 11

11 Preheat a stovetop griddle over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low before adding the muffins, because you want them to cook slowly

Step 12

12 Cook the muffins a few at a time, for 7 to 15 minutes per side (typically no more than 10 minutes per side), until the exteriors are golden brown; an instant-read thermometer will read at 200 degrees when the muffins are cooked all the way through

Step 13

13 Once the muffins are cooked, let them cool thoroughly on a rack before storing

Step 14

14 When you’re ready to toast them, use a fork to pierce a horizontal line around the sides of the muffin and then split it open, to create maximum nooks and crannies

Step 15

15 VARIATION: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can put all the ingredients into a large bowl to mix together into a shaggy mass, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, until you have a soft, stretchy ball of dough, then proceed with the rest of the directions